Written by

Adam Himmelsbach

Eight men’s college basketball teams will converge on Rupp Arena today to begin their quests for an NCAA championship. There will be Rams and Bison and Bulldogs. They will come from Wisconsin and North Carolina and Missouri. And, aside from the University of Louisville, casual fans from this area will look at these teams and say, “Uh, who’s that guy?”

So consider this a primer on the Lexington pod, a brief spring break study so you can impress your friends or trick them into making faulty picks on their bracket. Teams are listed in order of today’s open practice times, because chronology is fun, or at least orderly. And by the way, parking and admission are free, so that’s pretty cool.

No. 11 Bucknell (noon-12:40 p.m. open practice)

Founded in 1846 as the University of Lewisburg, the school was renamed 40 years later in honor of a major benefactor. Can you imagine if that’s how things worked today? There’d probably be a Trump University.

The Bison are led by center Mike Muscala, a two-time Patriot League Player of the Year who is one of the nation’s top rebounders. Bucknell has a Cinderella moment already, having toppled third-seeded Kansas in the tournament’s opening round in 2005.

No. 14 Davidson (12:45-1:25)

This college marches to its own beat. It has an intense honor code that allows for unproctored exams. And, even better, the university provides full-service laundry for students at no charge. (Well, no charge beyond the thousands you pay to go to school.)

The Wildcats put an unforgettable stamp on the NCAA Tournament in 2007, when Stephen Curry improbably guided them to the Elite Eight. These Wildcats are unlikely to repeat that feat, but they have won 17 games in a row.

No. 6 Butler (1:30-2:10)

Aspiring writers struggling with college, there is hope: Renowned author Kurt Vonnegut left Butler in 1942 after attaining a C average in his English courses. (But stay in school, kids.)

The Bulldogs’ recent success is well-documented: They’ve reached two of the last three national title games. This season they are led by senior guard Rotnei Clarke (16.7 ppg). Also, keep an eye out for Eastern High grad Kameron Woods, a reserve forward.

(Page 2 of 2)

No. 3 Marquette (2:15-2:55)

Did you know that in 1966, the St. Joan of Arc Chapel was moved from New York to the Marquette campus? I didn’t, either. It is so named because a stone within the chapel’s niche is said to have been kissed by Joan of Arc herself.

Louisville fans are quite familiar with the Golden Eagles, who shared the regular-season Big East title with the Cardinals and Georgetown. If Marquette and Butler win on Thursday, it would set up a rematch of the Bulldogs’ 72-71, buzzer-beating victory in Maui last November.

No. 1 Louisville (4:25-5:05)

Well, you already know plenty about the Cardinals, so I guess just take a second to enjoy the moment. Enjoy that U of L won the Sugar Bowl, is now the No. 1 overall seed in men’s basketball and is even hosting the early rounds of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

It will be interesting to see if U of L can ride the momentum from its jaw-dropping second half against Syracuse in the Big East Tournament championship game. If bench players such as Luke Hancock, Kevin Ware and Montrezl Harrell continue to play well, watch out.

No. 8 Colorado State (5:10-5:50)

CSU was founded in 1870, six years before the Colorado Territory even gained statehood. A famous alumnus is Kim Ung-Yong, who had the highest IQ in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The Rams’ basketball team is led by center Colton Iverson, a fifth-year senior who transferred from Minnesota. He’s averaging 14.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and might be the best Iverson ever, aside from Allen, of course.

No. 16 North Carolina A&T (5:55-6:35)

When I was a kid I always thought schools with A&T at the end meant they were owned by phone companies. Of course, I also thought you could stand on clouds. The civil rights activist Jesse Jackson is an alumnus of the Greensboro school.

The Aggies finished just sixth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this season and ranked 320th in the nation in field-goal percentage. And the fact that they are here is one of the beauties of this tournament.

No. 9 Missouri (6:40-7:20)

Well, actors Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Brad Pitt (all the Brad Pitt movies) went there, so there’s that. And the mascot, Truman the Tiger, is named after former President Harry Truman, a Missouri native.

This will be the Tigers’ second trip to Rupp Arena this season; they lost to Kentucky 90-83 in overtime on Feb. 23. Missouri was a No. 2 seed last season, but that didn’t work out so well, as it was stunned by No. 15 Norfolk State.